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Increase in seasonal snowfall totals
Monday through Wednesday this week brought several inches of new snow
to areas of the state. In fact, it was the snowiest 3-day period of
the winter for some observers. In the north International Falls
reported 8 inches; Crookston, Orr, Hibbing, Cook, and Two Harbors
reported 6 inches; Isabella reported 6.2 inches; and Kabetogama reported
7.4 inches. In central Minnesota Mora reported 5.2 inches and Plymouth
5.0 inches, while MSP reported 2.7 inches. In the south Theilman, and
Cannon Falls reported over 2 inches.

The new seasonal snowfall
totals for some observers: Gunflint Lake 36.6 inches; Isabella 49.4
inches; Kabetogama 48.3 inches; Orr 40 inches, and International Falls
41.2 inches. Despite the recent snowfall, many locations are still
significant seasonal deficiencies: at Duluth the season has delivered
just 22.9 inches (normal through the end of February is 65.6 inches); at
MSP the seasonal snowfall total is 18 inches (no…

Snow this week
Monday, February 13th brought snow to southern Minnesota counties, as
well as a few communities in the north. Across the south 1-4 inches of
snowfall blanketed what had been a snow-free landscape. Grand Meadow
reported 3 inches, while Caledonia in Houston County reported 4 inches,
their heaviest snowfall of the 2011-2012 season. Brainerd and Moorhead
reported over 3 inches, while Hibbing reported 5 inches. More snow came
on Wednesday to some southern counties as Sherburn, Wells, Fairmont,
and Grand Meadow all reported 3 more inches.
Cold up north
From Friday, February 10th through Monday,
February 13th northern Minnesota reported the coldest temperatures in
the 48 contiguous states, the first time this winter such a streak of
cold weather has dominated the northern Minnesota landscape. On
February 10th it was -18 degrees F at Flag Island, on February 11th it
was -20 degrees F at Fosston, on February 12th it was -14 degrees F at
Embarrass, and on Febru…

Cold revisits Minnesota
After starting February exceptionally warm last week, temperatures
plummeted this week to more typical wintertime values. On Tuesday,
February 7th Ash Lake in northern St Louis County reported the coldest
temperature in the 48 contiguous states with -20 degrees F. Then on
Wednesday, February 8th, Embarrass reported -17 degrees F, and after a
brief respite from the cold on Thursday, Friday morning , February 10th
Flag Island reported the coldest temperature among the 48 contiguous
states with a reading of -17 degrees F. On February 7th over 20
Minnesota weather observers reported below 0 F readings, while on
February 8th, the number of observers reporting below 0 F readings was
over 30. Then, on Friday, February 10th over 50 Minnesota communities
reported below 0 F readings, as far south as Windom (Cottonwood County)
which reached -2 degrees F. An Extreme Cold Warning was in effect for
northwestern counties on Friday, where windchill values we…

February starts warm and foggy
Following the trend of previous months, February started very warm
this week with temperatures ranging from 15 to 25 degrees F warmer than
average. Some observers in western Minnesota reported new record highs
for February 1st including: 50 F at Morris; 51 F at Benson; 52 F at
Ortonville and St James; 55 F at Marshall; and 56 F at Minnesota. On
February 2nd afternoon temperatures again reached the 40s and 50s F in
some places, as Rochester reported a new record high of 48 degrees F.
It was the warmest first two days of February since 1931.

In
addition, along river valleys and in eastern and northern sections of
the state fog was dense and very persistent the first three days of the
month. Almost continuous fog was reported from some southern counties,
along with some freezing fog. In the north, fog, overcast, and
occasional snow flurries prevailed over the first three days of the
month.